One player definitely out of the running, though, is London Irish back Shane Geraghty.

Geraghty has returned to his club from England's training base in Bath for further investigation and assessment on a knee injury suffered during Irish's Guinness Premiership victory over Leicester on Sunday.

Part of England's 31-man training squad preparing to meet France, Geraghty had been widely tipped to make the match-day 22.

Wing Paul Sackey (thumb), centre Jamie Noon (hamstring) and lock Steve Borthwick (knee) all sat out their clubs' Premiership games on the weekend but look as though they will be available for selection.

Former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, has warned that patience should not be on the agenda when England arrive in Paris.

After losing at home to Wales for the first time in 20 years, then struggling past Italy, England's Six Nations campaign is hardly on solid foundations.

Fitzpatrick said: "I don't think it's a time for patience - we've had four years of that.

"We are two or three Tests on from the World Cup, and they .125England.375 have got to start really fronting up and producing.

"It is about the players and the coaches. You cannot keep losing and not achieving. England have the resources - they've got the players.

"England are good enough and strong enough, and they showed in the World Cup after they were beaten 36-0 by South Africa that with the same players and a different attitude they got through to the final.

"England possess some great talent, but it is a matter of channelling it all in the right direction. They just don't seem to be clicking at the moment.

"It's always the head coach that takes the criticism - which is fair enough, I suppose - but I would be asking questions about the defence coach or the forwards coach, and the players.